Ocean Life

The oceans are full of life. A variety of animals and plants must survive
in a complex ecosystem. Invertebrates like crabs, starfish and worms roam
the sea floors. Coral grow in large numbers, creating a home for these creatures. All of these animals are called invertebrates, because they don't have a backbone.

Meanwhile, schools of fish roam the depths also looking for a bite to eat.
The triggerfish looks for a wandering crab in a reef while a group of
tuna pass by. They must stay alert, because the ferocious tiger shark is
looking for its prey.

In shallow depths, the plant life flourishes.
Sunlight beams down on the different types of algae. These simple plants serve as food for many animals of the sea. Not only are they important to the food chain, they are also used by people in toothpaste, make-up and even clothes!

In the deeper parts of the ocean, the largest animal known is swimming
around. The giant blue whale, which can reach 80 feet in length, is a
mammal. A family of dolphins plays nearby, but must beware of the pod of killer whales looking for a meal.

Together, these plants and animals make up what we call sea life. Scientists say that life began in the seas, which means that without these creatures, we would not exist. Use the table below to learn all about different sea life.

One way to explore ocean life is by scuba diving. Another way is to use a deep-sea submersible like the Alvin.

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Crabs are in the Crustacean phylum, which means they have hard exoskeletons that protect the soft body underneath. They also have sharp claws for battling predators and grabbing prey. There are many species...more

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Dolphins are known as cetaceans and are in the order Cetacea. The name Cetacea comes from the Latin 'cetus', which means large marine creature or sea monster! Dolphins are mammals and they do live their...more

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Plankton are a diverse set of marine organisms that live in both salt and fresh water. Some forms are able to move independently, but in general plankton drift with the currents in the body of water they...more

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